I went to a new discovered speed shop down the street from my house. I went in on Monday to ask a few questions about the stroker engine I want to build. Now let me set the stage for what the place looked like. As I looked through the windows, I noticed 8-9 cars in various states of modification on one side of the building and a large show room floor with a car roped off with a plaque on it "8.963 @ 211 mph 1/4 mile". Glass counters wrapping around from one side of the room to the other. A Pantera on the far side of the counters. Various headers and exhaust componets hanging on the walls. This gave me a warm and fuzzy. As I walked in a guy wearing a torn tee shirt walks and jeans ups to me as I enter. Not a big deal, I would if I owned the place. I tell him what the engine is going in and the parts I am concidering using. Once I get done explaining what I wanted he tells me straight up "You do want that." I looked at him for a minute or two and ask him why. "You just dont want that." Ok, what do I want then? Hmm here we go with a large amount of BS falling from his lips. I only tuned into a few key words. First he tells me that I don't want Roush 200 heads (200cc intake runner), there too big. 20 minutes later he is tring to sell me a set of Edelbrock Victor Jr. Aluminum heads with a 210cc intake runner for $1400. STRIKE #1. Then he says that I would be better off running a solid roller cam for a daily driver. Why? So I can bend a pushrod and have to adjust my valve lash every week? This is supposed to be a daily driver right? STRIKE #2. How much to install a hydralic roller cam conversion? Would you believe he is asking $350. His conversion kits are custom made. How do you install it? He taps the center holes in the oil galley and bolts in the stock spider with a little shaved of the legs. I can buy a cam, lifters, and conversion kit for less. STRIKE #3. I asked him how much to build a 393 stroker. He qoutes me $4000. for a long block, NOT including an intake manifold or a cam. STRIKE #4. What kind of headers would you recommend for my truck? "Well, I would have to custom make yours since you have an old truck like that." Hmmm I looked around the room and counted 14 different pairs of headers hanging on the walls. Mind you there were long, mid, and short styles hanging. Wouldn't you think that one of these sets might fit? That's what I thought. Well needless to say this place has lost the possibility of me even thinking of buying anything from them. I may still buy the 351W block that has been bored and blue printed. But that still remains to be seen when i go back. Well thanks for reading my crappy story.

 

Boy, it takes all kinds, doesn't it.

That reminds me of every car audio specialty store I have ever been in. You go in knowing exactly what you want, and they try and sell you some way over-priced and over spec'ed item you have absolutely no interest in. And when you call them on it, there reply is always, the same "... well, I guess I can sell you that one, but you won't be happy with it" The sad thing is that there are alot of impressionable people out there that get taken advantage of.

Sorry, I'm getting off topic, just wanted to help you rant.
Jayson

 

OK Sounds to me like you didn't get the Answer you where looking for.
So here's what you do, you have an Idea of what you want to build and you know the parts you want to put in it right. Then Get them and build it. What you where looking for was someone to tell you that this comb you came up with was an excellant choice.
Well that's where the problem begins.He'll tell you what works for him and he'll try to sell you what he has on the shelf. I personally would build a 400 just because that's what I have been building for the last 4 years for my Pulling Trucks.
You can get 400 Streetable Hp. pretty easy out of a 400 "IF" you have the right parts. It's finding the right parts that's the hard part.
And I bet if you went back to that speed shop and told him you'd like to build a 400 he's laugh till he was blue in the face.Cuz You just don't build up 400's there boat anchor's RIGHT....

 

So you found a place for the "more money than sense"
types, I've dealt with them, they're idiots, they can't
turn a wrench to save themselves. Thats the type of
place I go into and ask difficult questions, Like;
"If I replace my 19lb/hr injectors with 24lb/hr's,
will I have to remap the AFR in the ECU??" If I get
the "Dazed Pay 'n Pak Employee Stare", I go elsewhere.

Steve & the Rockette
'63 F100
'68 F100
'72 Capri 2L
'73 Capri 2.6L V6
'73 MG B GT 2.6L V6(Ford)
'98 Contour SVT 2.5L V6 (Mods)
'01 ZX2 (No Mods yet)

 

I told the guy what I wanted to see if he could build it for a reasanble price. HE was ranting and raving about the big blocks, FE's, 4.6L and 5.4L, Flat heads, and so on. You would think he was pretty well rounded. But I guess he might have been tring to figure out if I knew what I was talking about. I have been there and done that. LOL But to keep on instisting that a 393 is not a streetable engine take the cake. Well who knows. I will talk to another guy to see what his take is on it. I would prefer to have some kind of warrenty on the engine buildup. I'm not scare to build my engine I wanted to see if one could be built for a little more then the cost of the parts and machining. $4000 is a little steep with no cam or intake.

By the way Shazam there is a set of 351CJ heads for $450 in the classifieds. I know they will fit your 400 if you want to upgrade to 2.19 intake and 1.71 exhaust valves with a 75.4cc combustion chamber. Just a little more to stir the pot. Or would they be better on my engine? Just to keep you guessing.

 

Nope don't need then, I have 2 sets of Boss 302 4v Heads . 1969 with 2.25 an 1.90 Valves on my 650Hp 400 I build last year and 1970 with 2.19 an 1.73 Valves sitting on the shelf.And I have a set of Aussie 2V with 2.19 an 1.73 Valves on the shelf. On my 800 Hp. 400 I build for this year I have a set of Boss 351C 4V heads with High Port plates that are Fully Ported by the Pro's at Price MotorSports.

 

OK. Now I feel stupid thinking you might need them.

 

air harley

In a local autotrader that I receive there is a company in sturgeon lake (where that is I do not know) that list a 393 warrantied balanced and delivered 2599 intake or carb to pan. They also list a 380hp 351 for 1599. If you are interested then I will get it and post it on here in a few days or so.

 

Thanks JW. I would like to see the ad or have a # to get a hold them. I was doing more research on the stroker motor costs. Most of the places on the net that I just looked are qouting a higher price. ie... CrateEngine.net wants $2699 for the short block, add $275 for a cam, and add $1599 for World Castings heads. DSS wants $3199.95 not including the heads. So maybe I am jumping the gun a little here.

 

The number is 1 (888) 527-3639. I rechecked and the prices where $1699 for a 351 380hp and $2599 for a 393 410hp. These prices are very good if everything is redone or new. They do list the parts as being speedpro etc so who knows. They have other motors listed but these where the only ford so they could possibly have something good going on. If you do get in contact with them reply about what they told you. Good luck

 

Thanks JW. I will reply back with I find out.

 

Hey Mark:
NO need to feel bad .. How could you have know I'm a pack rat to the good things in life.

 

JC, Just out of curiosity, Do those guys building the strokers list any torque figures? Would they be Windsor or M block?
Tony